567 CapeTalk

55-year-old Jacob Humphreys appeared in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday morning.

It was his first court appearance following his arrest on Sunday, just after being discharged from hospital.

Humphreys’ case was postponed for seven days to allow the State to gather bail information.

He was transported to Pollsmoor prison where he’ll remain until his next court appearance.

The State hasn’t yet indicated whether it’ll oppose bail should Humphreys decide to apply.

He’s currently facing charges of culpable homicide in relation to the death of 10 school children who were in his vehicle when it was hit by a train at a level crossing in Blackheath last Wednesday.

There have however been calls for those charges to be changed to murder.

Aden Thomas
CapeTalk Breakfast Show Host
Aden Thomas interview the mother of ‘Little Rock of Blue Downs’, sShe was among the learners that died in the crash.

Aden Thomas
CapeTalk Breakfast Show Host
Aden Thomas shares his thoughts on the accident. Aden was also involved in the ‘Little Rock of Blue Downs’ campaign. She was among the learners that died in the crash.

The Railway Safety Regulator's (RSR) responds to Blackheath accident
Carvel Webb - General Manager of the Railway Safety Regulator's (RSR)

The Railway Safety Regulator's (RSR) inspectors were on site earlier, investigating a level crossing accident which left nine school children dead in Blackheath.
The RSR says that the crossing is protected by road signs, flashing lights and booms which were confirmed to be in working order. They say that this is the maximum level of protection which can be afforded to a level crossing. Carvel Webb says that the problem with adding more booms, or some kind of barrier that would block off the road entirely, is that should a car get stuck between the booms, it would not be able to drive out and escape being hit by a train, and thus would make crossings more dangerous.

Liz Crossley - Nursing sister with the EMS

Liz was on the scene quite early this morning and helped with the co-ordination of debriefing and counseling efforts. She also went to the morgue to help identify the victims earlier today. The EMS is leading efforts to provide assistance to the families of the deceased. A trauma counselling centre has been set up at the Blackheath community hall from where we will co-ordinate assistance and support efforts for the families of the deceased.

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